biz travel ey

Cookie information

Welcome to the EY careers job search site. This website is based on the SuccessFactors software provided by SAP. On this page, functional and optional cookies are used to improve your experience and design our careers site more user-friendly and in line with your needs. In this context, cookies from providers in third countries may also be used and data may be transmitted to providers such as social media services outside the EU. For this we require your consent. By clicking "Accept All Cookies", you agree to these. This also includes your consent to the transmission of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can select your settings by clicking “Modify Cookie Preferences” to confirm your choices from the optional cookie tracking and selecting the required cookies required to remain on the site. You can change your selection at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.

• Deutsch (Deutschland)
• English (United Kingdom)
• English (United States)
• Español (México)
• Français (Canada)
• Français (France)
• עִבְרִית (יִשְׂרָאֵל)
• Português (Brasil)
• Careers at EY
• What you can do here
• What it’s like to work here
• How to join us
• Experienced jobs
• Student jobs

Business Travel Advisory Manager - PAS - Mobility - Manager - Multiple Positions

Job description.

Business Travel Advisory Manager, People Advisory Services (Mobility) (Manager) (Multiple Positions) ( 1515493) , Ernst & Young U.S. LLP, Boston, MA .

Provide strategic advice to help clients manage risks relating to their short-term business traveler populations.  Develop and maintain state-of-the art technology through which clients proactively manage the most complex risks in a streamlined and proactive manner.  Work closely with clients to manage their globally mobile workforce and drive strategic business outcomes through their people. Conduct pre- and post-travel analysis, integrate internal tools with third party travel vendors to provide a seamless employee experience, and provide real time advice on income and social tax, immigration and permanent establishment risk management and reporting using specialized data analytics tools. Connect clients with experts on downstream global mobility tax compliance, cross-border share based incentive schemes and management of expatriate compensation tools, along with key stakeholder management. Must have active CPA certification, Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Society of Human Resources Professional - Certified Professional or Senior Certified Professional, (SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or the ability to obtain within one year of hire; OR an Enrolled Agent Certification; OR be a member of a US State Bar.

Manage and motivate teams of professionals with diverse skills and backgrounds. Consistently deliver quality client services by monitoring progress. Demonstrate in-depth technical capabilities and professional knowledge. Maintain long-term client relationships and networks. Cultivate business development opportunities.

Full time employment, Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, Human Resources, Law or a related field and 5 years of related work experience. In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, will accept an additional 2 years of related work experience.  Alternatively, will accept a Master’s degree in Accounting, Business, Human Resources, Law or a related field and 4 years of related work experience.

Must have 4 years of experience managing global mobility and/or business traveler programs at a mid-sized/regional to large-sized national consulting firm or public accounting firm, or in an in-house role.

Must have 4 years of experience solving complex client challenges related to business traveler projects.

Must have 4 years of experience ensuring expatriate tax, immigration and social security requirements are managed in accordance with legislative requirements.

Must have 4 years of experience with large scale business travel data analytics, program transformation, implementation and onboarding.

Must have 1 year of experience leading workstreams from planning to implementation, including managing resources and budgets.

Must have 1 year of experience coaching and developing junior consultants, focusing on their technical and client service skills.

Must have active CPA certification, Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Society of Human Resources Professional - Certified Professional or Senior Certified Professional, (SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or the ability to obtain within one year of hire; OR an Enrolled Agent Certification; OR be a member of a US State Bar.

Travel required up to 15% to serve client needs.

Employer will accept any suitable combination of education, training or experience.

Please apply on-line at ey.com/en_us/careers and click on "Careers - Job Search”, then “Search Jobs" ( Job Number - 1515493).

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

Nearest Major Market: Boston

• Connect with us
• Our locations
• Legal and privacy

Cookie Consent Manager

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Required Cookies

These cookies are required to use this website and can't be turned off.

Advertising Cookies

These cookies serve ads that are relevant to your interests. You may freely choose to accept or decline these cookies at any time. Note that certain functionality that these third parties make available may be impacted if you do not accept these cookies.

Concur Founder, Former Expedia Execs Back Business Travel AI Startup: Otto

Justin Dawes , Skift

August 22nd, 2024 at 11:16 AM EDT

Steve Singh is continuing to build and fund an ecosystem that he hopes will bring about a more high-tech experience for the next generation of business travel. Otto will have to work out the rough edges of other AI trip planners to date.

Justin Dawes

Steve Singh and a group of industry veterans are rolling out a new AI trip planner and booking agent for business travel. 

It’s called Otto , and the startup shared its plans on Thursday along with news of a $6 million seed round.

The founder and CEO is Michael Gulmann , former senior vice president of consumer products for Expedia Group, and also the former chief product officer and head of marketing for Egencia. 

Madrona Ventures led the round, with support from Direct Travel and a star lineup of travel industry veterans. 

Singh, managing partner for Madrona, led the investment from the firm and is the executive chairman of Otto. 

The angel investors include:

• Erik Blachford, former CEO of Expedia 
• Barney Harford, former CEO of Orbitz and board member of United Airlines
• Hugh Crean, former CEO of Farecast, a Madrona-backed airfare prediction company that was acquired by Microsoft in 2008

Singh, who founded Concur and sold it to SAP in 2014 for $8.3 billion , and a group of investors in April fully acquired Direct Travel. (Christal Bemont, the company’s new CEO, is speaking at the Skift Global Forum next month .)

What Is Otto? 

Otto has been designed as a virtual travel agent for planning and booking business trips, with the ability to provide support during trips if flights or plans change. Powered by the latest generative AI models, users will be able to prompt a search with natural language. 

Much of the inventory is coming through a connection with ​​Spotnana, another Madrona-backed company with Singh as its executive chairman.

Gulmann said Otto will also be able to handle details like finding a hotel with specific amenities and within walking distance to a conference center. The tool is meant to learn and remember user data like a favorite airline, frequent flight routes, and preferred hotels.

The startup will add features for booking restaurants and more in the future, it says.

The focus is on the “unmanaged” sector of business travel — individuals, maybe small business employees, that don’t work with a contracted travel agency, Gulmann said.

“This, then, can become their pseudo [travel management company],” Gulmann said. “Otto should be able to be that cost-effective way that they can get more of that personalized service.”

The unmanaged market is worth an estimated $156 billion in the U.S., according to the startup.

“So the concept is, if we can capture even just 1% of that, it’s a $1.6 billion market with $120 million in annual revenue,” Gulmann said.

As other AI-powered planners have shown, the tech is imperfect at this point.

That’s why the team is spending the next several months working out the kinks, Gulmann said, with plans to launch a beta version of the platform in December. 

The startup has enough capital for two years of operations, Gulmann said.

How Otto Came to Be

Otto was born in a five-minute pitch during an internal offsite meeting for Madrona Venture Labs , the venture capital firm’s incubator program, according to a statement from Labs CEO Mike Fridgen.

Singh liked the idea and worked with the Labs team and Madrona Ventures managing director Matt McIlwain to develop the product vision, customer target, and business model. 

The Labs team included Simon Tam, founding chief technology officer of Egencia, and founding leaders for the former Farecast company.

Gulmann was also part of the development team. He became the founder and CEO when Otto was established as an independent company earlier this year. 

Madrona Venture Labs says it has helped establish more than 30 companies that have collectively raised over $270 million.

Otto was conceived to align with Singh’s long-term vision of “the perfect trip,” or as others in the industry call it, “the connected trip.” It’s the idea that all travel companies involved in a trip should have easy access to that traveler’s data, with permission, which would theoretically enable a more seamless experience for the traveler. 

Before his corporate roles, Gulmann spent about 10 years at startups. He decided to return to his roots because he’s optimistic about what the latest advancements of AI could mean for travel. 

“I had the opportunity to go into another big corporate job,” Gulmann said. “Honestly, this is something I’m just passionate about. This is the right moment.”

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: artificial intelligence , business travel , direct travel , funding , madrona , online travel newsletter , startups , the prompt

Photo credit: Otto, a startup AI trip planner for business travel, has raised a seed round of $6 million. Yousef Alfuhigi / Unsplash

Small businesses and startups often lack a dedicated travel desk, forcing executives and founders to rely on human assistants or consuming and cumbersome travel apps.

Expedia’s former SVP of consumer product, Michael Gulmann, is betting on AI to bridge the gap. His company, Otto , emerges from stealth Thursday, with plans to launch an alpha version of the platform to select U.S. participants in September. The service is designed to quickly facilitate flight and hotel bookings through natural language queries.

Otto has raised $6 million in a seed round led by Madrona Ventures, with participation from Direct Travel. Angel investors in the round include former C-suite executives from services including Expedia, Ortbiz, Uber and Farecast.

The startup will utilize the $6 million it has raised for product development and hiring engineering talent. It should give Otto a run rate of two years.

Gulmann told TechCrunch that while the likes of TravelPerk and Concur focus on large enterprises, Otto is looking to serve customers who lack access to the services.

“Think of Otto as a high-end travel agent or executive assistant that remembers your preferences, such as your choice of hotels and flights. It will also remember other nuances such as if you prefer to stay within 10 minutes of your meeting place,” Gulmann said.

He noted that this means users don’t have to re-enter preferences each time they use the service. They also don’t have to toggle between travel sites and services like Google Maps.

Gulmann added that Otto automatically looks for changes in bookings and schedules. For instance, if your preferred hotel is booked, it gives you an option for another hotel that’s nearby.

In instances where the ‘bot can’t complete the booking for some reason, it will hand over the operations to a human agent at Direct Travel, who will pick up where it left off. Gulmann explained that these cases will likely be rare, though it’s difficult to gauge frequency without more real-world testing.

Steve Singh, Madrona’s managing director and the interim CEO at travel tech firm Spotnana , led Otto’s seed round. The exec, who also founded Concur , acquired Direct Travel (one of the investors in the round), with various other investors in April . Singh is the executive chairman at Direct Travel and will assume a similar position on Otto’s board.

Speaking with TechCrunch, Singh said he believes Otto has a great opportunity to capture some market in the travel space.

“The reason behind a large set of business travel being unmanaged is that services like Concur or other travel management companies are too expensive for small businesses. Typically, small business owners take the help of executive assistants for travel. That’s what’s good about Otto, it acts as your own executive assistant or a travel agent,” he said.

Otto is using its network of investors and advisors to get the best flight and travel data — integrating with services like Direct Travel and Spotnana — to facilitate customized booking queries.

Gulmann said that, for instance, if you need a hotel with a rooftop bar, you won’t find that as a filter on Expedia or Booking.com. He said that Otto is leveraging various hotel data providers and airline schedule databases to provide better customization for users.

The company is currently fine tuning off-the-shelf AI models using their own data. Gulmann noted that the cost of using these models will be far lower than what the company will earn from affiliate revenue per booking.

Otto plans to let the bot book transactions, anonymize trip IDs, and analyze data to check for hallucinations or errors. It emphasized that because it uses different agents and models for different tasks, the number of hallucinations should be small.

Gulmann said that with the alpha release, the company plans to hone its product, aiming to open it up to more people through a beta release by the end of the year. He plans to make Otto more widely available in early 2025.

Singh adds that, in the future, Otto will be able provide a highly personalized service. Users would be able to say as little as “Book me a trip for my next week’s meeting” and the tool will plan a trip based on historical data and preferences.

More TechCrunch

Get the industry’s biggest tech news, techcrunch daily news.

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

TechCrunch Fintech

The latest Fintech news and analysis, delivered every Tuesday.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

DeepMind workers sign letter in protest of Google’s defense contracts

At least 200 workers at DeepMind, Google’s AI R&D division, are displeased with Google’s reported defense contracts — and according to Time, they circulated a letter internally back in May…

NASA to decide Saturday whether astronauts will ride Boeing’s Starliner home — or use SpaceX’s Dragon instead 

NASA officials will announce their final decision on Saturday as to whether two NASA astronauts — Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams — will return to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft…

Gimbal Space takes on legacy suppliers with fast-paced component supply chain

America’s space industry seems mature, but the supply chain that provides all the parts and components for rockets, satellites, and other spacecraft is considerably less so. Gimbal Space is aiming to…

Waymo wants to chauffeur your kids

Soon, parents in range of Waymo robotaxis might not have to worry about picking up their kids from after-school activities — or any time, really. The San Francisco Standard reports…

Synapse’s collapse has frozen nearly $160M from fintech users — here’s how it happened

Here is a timeline of Synapse’s troubles and the ongoing impact it is having on banking consumers. 

Founder of failed fintech Synapse says he’s raised $11M for new robotics startup

Tens of millions of customer dollars remain unaccounted for at his previous startup, fintech Synapse. But that’s not deterring Sankaet Pathak from forging full steam ahead with his new robotics…

Cruise’s robotaxis are coming to the Uber app in 2025

Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary, said it has signed a multi-year partnership with ride-hailing giant Uber to bring its robotaxis to the ride-hailing platform in 2025.  Cruise didn’t say when…

Boston Dynamics’ new electric Atlas can do push-ups

Until today, we’ve seen exactly 40 seconds of Boston Dynamics’ new electric Atlas in action. The Hyundai-owned robotics stalwart is very much still in the early stages of commercializing the…

AI sales rep startups are booming. So why are VCs wary?

When you really probe venture capitalists about investing in AI startups, they’ll tell you that businesses are experimenting wildly but are very slow to add AI solutions into their ongoing…

Former Alphabet X spinout Mineral sells technology to John Deere

Citing a crowded market and profit concerns, Mineral ceased operation and pivoted to technology licensing.

Relive the Myspace days by adding a favorite song to your Instagram profile

A nod to the Myspace era, Instagram just launched a new feature that allows you to add music to your profile. The feature is in collaboration with singer Sabrina Carpenter,…

Ford pivots on EVs, Waymo doubles its robotaxi ridership and Canoo leaves California

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Monterey Car…

Ecovacs says it will fix bugs that can be abused to spy on robot owners

After saying users “do not need to worry excessively” about a series of security flaws, Ecovacs said it will — in fact — roll out fixes.

Alphabet X’s latest spinout brings computer vision and AI to salmon farms

Tidal, which quietly spun out of the department in mid-July, has its own grand ambitions to “feed humanity sustainably.”

India’s open commerce network expands into digital lending

India’s ONDC has launched digital lending on its network as it expands into financial services after powering e-commerce, mobility and logistics with its standardized framework.

Under DMA probe, Apple tweaks design of EU browser choice screens, expands app default settings

Apple continues to adjust its approach to compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA): Announcing another batch of changes Thursday, the iPhone maker showed off redesigned browser choice…

Threads spotted exploring ads, but says ‘no immediate timeline’ toward monetization

These findings indicate that Threads engineers are exploring ad technology, but that doesn’t mean Threads will debut ads anytime soon, as some suspect.

Cruise recalls robotaxi fleet to resolve federal safety probe

The recall and the conclusion of the probe takes one worry off of Cruise’s plate at a time when the company is under great scrutiny.

Cache Energy’s mysterious white pellets could help kill coal and natural gas

The pellets can be stored in piles or silos, moved around using conveyor belts, and transported via rail cars.

Creatopy, which automates ad creation using AI, raises a $10M Series A

The startup — which was developed in Romania but has a U.S. TopCo — now considers more than 5,000 brands and agencies as its clients.

Tilt raises $18M Series A to build on its real-time shopping app’s success

Live-shopping has grown into a massive sector in Asia, but the phenomenon is yet to see similar uptake in Western markets. But two tech founders are hoping the growth-hacking skills…

Small businesses and startups often lack a dedicated travel desk, forcing executives and founders to rely on human assistants or consuming and cumbersome travel apps. Expedia’s former SVP of consumer…

Final 48 hours to secure your discounted tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

We’re down to the last 2 days to save up to $600 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tickets! Prices will rise after August 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Don’t miss your…

China autonomous vehicle startup WeRide delays US IPO

WeRide is delaying plans to go public, according to CNBC. The self-driving tech company aimed to hit the Nasdaq this week, but now says it needs more time to complete…

Trace Machina is building a simulation testing platform to update safety-critical applications

When a faulty CrowdStrike update brought down airports, 911 call centers and hospitals last month, it showed how a defective update could impact critical infrastructure. Now imagine that this update…

Meta lets you cross-post from Instagram and Facebook to Threads. Here’s how to do it.

Connecting Threads more closely to Meta’s larger app ecosystem and its billions of users could also help boost Threads’ app — which recently surpassed 200 million active users — even…

Harmonyze wants to build AI agents to help franchisors make sense of unstructured data

For some businesses, there is a clear path to growth that doesn’t involve acquiring other companies or expanding organically: franchising. The U.S. has more than 800,000 franchise businesses, according to…

Lux Capital made its first investment in Brazil, a $4M seed for AI fintech Magie

Brazil fintech Magie raised $4 million in a seed round led by Lux Capital, marking the firm’s first investment in Brazil.

Dropbox acquires Index Ventures-backed AI scheduling tool Reclaim.ai

Dropbox has acquired AI-powered scheduling tool Reclaim.ai, which counts Calendly and Index Ventures among its backers. The development was revealed in a blog post on Reclaim.ai’s website Tuesday. Dropbox hasn’t…

Opkey, an AI-based ERP testing platform, raises $47M

On the back of strong customer traction — more than 200 large enterprise customers — the startup has closed a Series B of $47 million. 

Forgot your Password

Please enter your email to reset your password

Sign up to the latest news!

Please enter your email to receive our newsletter

Experience 2 majestic cities!

Russia. it is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma (winston churchill)..

The city of Moscow gradually grew around the Moscow Kremlin, beginning in the 14th century. It was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow (or Muscovy), from 1340 to 1547 and in 1713 renamed as the Tsardom of Russia by Peter I "the Great" (when the capital was moved to Saint Petersburg). Moscow was the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1918, which then became the Soviet Union (1922 to 1991), and since 1991 has served as capital of the Russian Federation.

Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation’s cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that’s home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia's symbolic center. It's home to Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum's comprehensive collection and St. Basil’s Cathedral, known for its colourful, onion-shaped domes. Explore Alexander Garden and Tverskaya (Gorky) Street, the beating heart of Moscow. 

SLEEP AT  RENAISSANCE MOSCOW MONARCH CENTRAL HOTEL

Stylish comfort minutes from Red Square. Indulge in 4-star comfort during your Russia getaway with modern accommodations, exceptional amenities and superb service. Unwind in the pet-friendly hotel rooms and suites, which offer spacious layouts, marble bathrooms and natural light. Every room is equipped with workstations, free Wi-Fi, mini-refrigerators and plush bedding. 

SLEEP AT  PETROFF PALACE

Get inspired by imperial luxury.  Originally built in the late 18th century for Empress Catherine the Great (Catherine II), the Palace was used as a resting place for travelling noblemen on their journeys from Saint Petersburg to Moscow. Russian architect Matvey Kazakov designed this luxurious building in the finest tradition of the Romantic Neo-Gothic style. The palace gardens were later transformed into a beautiful landscape park, which is known as one of the most picturesque parks in Moscow.

EAT AT  LAVKALAVKA

Food is not just eating.  Farm-to-table restaurant LavkaLavka is a new Russian cuisine restaurant. They are not trying to recreate 18th century cuisine, but instead to keep these traditions and respectfully follow them it in their daily work. Their timeline ignores 20th century trends of gastronomic degradation in Russia. They cook and work like nothing happened, as if cuisine just naturally developed into present.

PLAY AT  WALKS WITH FOLKS

Great tours with fantastic guides. Join Walks with Folks for unforgettable private tours in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and the Golden Ring of Russia. All their tours are available in English, Spanish, German and French.

SAINT PETERSBURG

Peter The Great established the Russian Empire in 1721, although the Romanov dynasty had been in power since 1613. One of Russia's most charismatic and forceful leaders, Peter built the foundations of empire on a centralised political culture and promoted "westernisation" of the nation. As part of this effort he moved the capital from the history rich city of Moscow to Saint Petersburg, a city built at a great expense and by a great effort of the Russian people. Best architects from France and Italy were involved designing the city. Saint Petersburg became known as Russia's "Window on the West" and adopted the manners and style of the royal courts of western Europe, even to the point of adopting French as its preferred language.

Travel to St. Petersburg, a port city on the baltic sea by plane, train, bus or even boat (Full details at: Russia ). It was the imperial capital for 2 centuries, having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, subject of the city's iconic “Bronze Horseman” statue. It remains Russia's cultural center, with venues such as the Mariinsky Theatre hosting opera and ballet, and the State Russian Museum showcasing Russian art, from Orthodox icon paintings to Kandinsky works. Visit the Savior on the Spilled Blood, Palace Square, the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Museum, all in the same area. Travel to The Peterhof Palace,  a series of palaces and gardens commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. 

SLEEP AT  RENAISSANCE ST PETERSBURG BALTIC HOTEL

Prime location with incredible views.  Immerse yourself in the rich history and unique style of one of Russia's most captivating cities at Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel. The prime city center location, sophisticated accommodations and superb services make the hotel an ideal destination for both business and vacation travellers. Attend events at Expoforum and Lenexpo, or explore the famous attractions nearby including St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Hermitage Museum, Nevsky Prospekt Street and the Mariinsky Theatre. 

SLEEP AT  TREZZINI PALACE HOTEL

A reflection of the imperial St. Petersburg.  Trezzini Palace is a five-star de luxe hotel for those who value luxury and can enjoy it. It is located in house 21 on University embankment. The building was constructed in the XVIII century upon the design developed by one of the main architects of St. Petersburg – Domenico Trezzini. Trezzini Palace offers kingly apartments uniting marvelous design and five star service to its valued guests.

EAT AT  STROGANOFF STEAK HOUSE

Great food and excellent atmosphere. Stroganoff Steak House is the largest steak house in Russia and one of the biggest in Europe. Its area is 1246 sq. m, while the seating area is 450. The restaurant was opened on the 10th of May, 2007 in the center of St. Petersburg in a historical building where barracks and stables of the Horse Guards were located before the Revolution.

EAT AT  RUSSIA VODKAROOM #1

Imperial 19th century dining.  Russian Vodkaroom #1 was opened in 2008. The whole concept of the project takes you back to the imperial 19th century. The chef Andrey Vlasov is justly considered to be one of the best specialists in Russian cuisine. He is a repeat winner of local and national professional exhibitions, awards, and competitions.

PLAY AT  RUSSIA VODKA MUSEUM

The world's largest collection of Russian vodkas.  The Russian Vodka Museum is an integral part of the "Russian VodkaRoom No. 1" located within the restaurant. The exhibition reveals the details of origin and history of vodka from the 14th century to the present day. 

PLAY AT  ST PETERSBURG WELCOMES

Tailor-made tours.  St.Petersburg Welcomes Tours are focused on unique tailor-made tours. Their priority is comfort and travel preferences. A team of professional guides will make your journey memorable and exciting. 

Click on the links above for more details and to book directly from the featured twisht experiences at the lowest prices. Visit  EXPLORE  for 670+ experiences in 100+ countries or find your next awesome experience at  BLOG

These millennials and Gen Z-ers are going on vacation — no matter how much it costs

• Five Gen Zs and millennials explained to BI how they pay for travel .
• Some say they've gone into debt or used "buy now, pay later" services like Affirm for their vacations.
• A survey found that one in three Americans who planned to travel this summer said they'd be willing to incur debt for it.

Money can't buy happiness — but it can buy a weeklong vacation to the Amalfi Coast.

And if you don't have the cash, you can just fake it 'till you make it — or at least put the trip on a credit card and worry about it later.

Would you go into debt to fund your dream vacation? More than one in three Americans who said they planned to travel this summer would — either by borrowing money, using credit cards, or a buy now pay later service like Klarna and Affirm — according to an online Bankrate survey of about 2,300 adults in March.

According to the survey, millennials and Gen Z were the most willing to take on debt, with 47% and 42% of them, respectively, saying so. That's a stark comparison to Gen X and boomers, of whom 31% and 22%, respectively, said they're willing to do the same.

Why not, when, as one young globetrotter, 24-year-old India Roby, put it, "There's biggest fish to fry," she told Business Insider, pointing to general attitudes about the economy and global conflict.

'Fuck it — we ball.'

Family vacations weren't a staple of Roby's childhood, she said. Instead, she recalls growing up "super poor" with a "tumultuous upbringing, especially when it came to finances." Evictions and electricity being turned off were "a common occurrence," she said.

But that's in the past. Now, she's a freelance journalist in New York City and earning what she says is the most anyone in her family has ever made, at an average of $65,000 annually. (BI could not verify this.)

Her new financial freedom has come with the goal of going on one big vacation a year. So far, that's been trips to Honolulu and Los Angeles in 2021, Seoul, Korea in 2023, and again in June.

She may not always have the cash to pay for it in full. But as the adage goes, if there's a will, there's a way.

When she was "definitely broke" last year, she charged her flight to Korea on PayPal Credit, which prominently advertises its "buy now, pay over time" option. For her recent trip back, she opened a new Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay for the flights, not the points. "I want to go to Korea," she said. "We're going to make it happen. I don't have the money, so I need to get money."

That trip left her credit score "very in the gutter." She's now paying credit card debt, but happy she had a good time.

"I don't want my finances and economic status to be the reason I can't have fun, live life, and be cute," Roby told BI. "I want to live my life and worry about the specifics later."

But her secret sauce to affording traveling isn't just putting big payments on new cards. It's also buy now, pay later services like Affirm and Klarna, which she said she uses for almost every purchase, whether Instacart, supplies from Petco for her two guinea pigs, or "impulse purchases at Sandy Liang ."

Some flights, such as a trip to New Orleans in 2023, and Airbnbs, like the one she had booked for her trip back to Seoul.

And she's not alone — 16% of millennial and Gen Z travelers said they were considering using these services to fund their summer vacation, according to a recent Credit Karma report , which surveyed 2,006 adults online from June 6 to 8.

"I can't afford a $4,000 trip right off the bat, but if you split it up across six months, I could probably make that work," Roby said. "I am treating my childhood self to things I wasn't afforded, and also current me because I want to go on a vacation too."

'For now, it's going to be credit cards and Klarna until I die.'

About a third of Gen Z and millennials said they don't feel "financially stable" in Credit Karma's survey.

Related stories

Hailee Gilmore, 27, isn't one of them. She and her husband share a two-year-old child and "a lot of student debt." But they both work two jobs each, with Hailee earning about $85,000 annually from her full-time position at the New York State Health Department and her part-time job at a car dealership.

Despite this stable stream of income, Gilmore, like Roby, said she would likely use buy-now, pay-later services to book vacations for the foreseeable future.

Before them, Gilmore — who also said she grew up "poor" — had been fronting travel costs on credit cards, although not to the same carefree degree as Roby. "I felt like I was making a bad choice," Gilmore said. "I felt irresponsible."

She was initially skeptical of Affirm and Klarna — that is until it came time to book her and her husband's almost $3,200 honeymoon at a luxury all-inclusive resort in Mexico.

He said they didn't have the money for it. She suggested using Affirm.

And that they did, booking their big getaway in March 2021 with a 14-month payment plan of about $154 a month. "We go out to dinner a lot," she said. "That's the price of a dinner and drinks."

The vacation had been paid off by their wedding and honeymoon in October 2022.

What she once thought was a "scam" has become a routine part of booking Airbnbs, flights, and an annual family vacation to Ohio. In the next year and a half, the Gilmores also plan to take their first family trip to Disney — using Affirm, of course.

"I would be able to pay a chunk of money, but my heart, growing up poor, is saying I shouldn't pay $2,000 right now for a vacation," Gilmore told BI. "In my mind, it's more feasible when I look at it as a monthly budget item."

To some, going into debt isn't worth a vacation.

Take Crystal Witter, a 27-year-old law student, entrepreneur, and content creator in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for example. As a self-proclaimed solo travel lover with no commitments, she says now is the time to prioritize seeing the world, especially as she envisions a short-term future in Big Law .

She took out a "small" student loan to supplement her full law school scholarship. But because it's so little, she doesn't foresee paying it off as a long-term concern. (Her student loan, like many in Canada, doesn't accrue interest.)

"Money comes back, but experiences you'll have forever," Witter told BI, calling from her vacation in Dubai. "I'll never be 27 again, in Dubai, traveling solo, falling off of dirt bikes, and living life."

However, she believes financial responsibility is more important than "impressing people on social media."

Witter funds her trips using earnings from her TikTok accounts, which she said is her main source of income. While she does use a travel-specific credit card for points, she won't accrue a balance or use buy now, pay later services, calling them "risky."

"Having high debt is not the real trend despite what people see on social media," Witter said. "As young people, we have a responsibility to ensure our future is safe as much as we want to enjoy the present."

Take it from someone who learned the hard way.

If there's one person who can speak to Witter's sentiments, it's Canada-based Erin Spencer. Her full-time job is in the "financial industry," but she also creates TikTok content about her journey with debt, a topic she's personally well-versed in.

By 19, she was accruing credit card debt while "going on trips I couldn't afford," Spencer told BI. By 24, she had accumulated 25,000 Canadian dollars — about $18,300 — in debt, ultimately filing for bankruptcy.

Now, at 30, she still owes more than CAD$26,150 — about $19,100 — for payments such as taxes, car, and student loans. "I've basically had debt my entire adult life," Spencer said.

Like others, accruing a credit card balance was her way of affording trips. For example, her Boston vacation in 2022 and an international shopping trip to Maine in 2023, which she estimates had added a "couple thousand" onto her card.

But just because she went on these vacations doesn't mean they were stress-free. "I felt like I was living a lie and hiding something from people," she said. "I was embarrassed."

"Am I really enjoying it?" Spencer recalled asking herself. "Am I trying to keep up with the Joneses?"

That is, until a switch flipped in November, when she shared her bankruptcy story on TikTok.

Now, she's wholly committed to paying off her debt.

"I don't want to be a statistic," Spencer told BI. "I don't want to get into a cycle of filing bankruptcy."

Despite this mindset shift, she still has a goal of traveling once or twice a year. But instead of going further into debt, she now uses a sinking fund, which she supplies with earnings from some of her TikTok brand deals and about $50 to $100 from each of her corporate job's paychecks. (She said she makes between CAD$75,000 to CAD$85,000 annually from both. BI could not verify the amount.)

While she still has debt, having a travel-specific fund has allowed her to truly enjoy her vacations, including her latest two-week "recharge" trip in April to Florida, which cost about $2,500 — but didn't deepen the well of her debt.

Yes, she got some backlash on TikTok for going on the trip. And yes, she could've put that money toward her payments. "But I would still have debt, and I'd probably be way more burned out if I didn't take a break and come back focused and ready to pay off my debt again," she told BI. "Everybody needs a break sometimes."

According to Credit Karma's survey, about one in four and one in five Gen Z and millennials, respectively, said they will use cash from a travel-specific savings fund to pay for their summer vacation.

Like Spencer, Zakaria Karanikos, 25, is one of them. She uses a sinking fund to budget for travel despite graduating with student debt — a balance of which currently sits just shy of $120,000 — in 2022.

In the past, she would put her vacation expenses on a credit card and work extra shifts to pay it off. Now that she earns more in her post-grad job — $72,000 annually — she only uses credit cards for the points.

"People my age feel this pressure to either not care about money and travel because they're never going to be this young again, or prioritize their career and never travel to get financially ahead," Karanikos told BI. "I think you should find a way to balance both. Our time is limited. Both can be important."

Or, as Spencer put it, a disagreement with the proliferation of the casual "treat yourself" mentality. "You really deserve it when you save for it and earn it."

But that doesn't mean she no longer struggles with the urge to spend more than she can budget for.

Her springtime Florida trip almost completely emptied her travel fund. For her 30th birthday in July, she was tempted to put another trip on her card. "I was having a full battle with myself, even if it's just a few thousand dollars," she said. (She ultimately decided against it.)

Spencer said she doesn't judge people who put vacations on their credit cards. Of course, she's been there, too.

But now, she "sleeps peacefully."

"You can't live life in a delusion, put everything on credit, and hope you're going to get rich or pay it off somehow," Spencer said. "Eventually, it catches up with you."

Watch: Thousands of bags pile up at US airports after flight cancellations

• Main content

Israel to launch Electronic Travel Authorization system

• Link copied

Effective 1 August 2024, visa-exempt foreign nationals who seek to undertake short-term visits to Israel for business or tourism purposes will be required to submit an online application on the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system prior to entry. The Israeli authorities introduced the ETA on a pilot (and voluntary) basis on 1 June 2024 for German and US nationals who seek to visit Israel for business or tourism. Effective 1 July 2024, the pilot program will be extended on a voluntary basis to all visa-exempt foreign nationals who seek to visit Israel for up to 90 days for business or tourism.

A Tax Alert prepared by EY's People Advisory Services group, and attached below, provides additional details.

Show resources

Download this tax alert.

Connect with us

Our locations

Legal and privacy

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

EY | Assurance | Consulting | Strategy and Transactions | Tax

EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy and transactions, and tax services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

© EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

EYG/OC/FEA no.

This material has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as accounting, tax, or other professional advice. Please refer to your advisors for specific advice.

Welcome to EY.com

In addition to cookies that are strictly necessary to operate this website, we use the following types of cookies to improve your experience and our services: Functional cookies to enhance your experience (e.g. remember settings), and  Performance cookies to measure the website's performance and improve your experience . , and Marketing/Targeting cookies , which are set by third parties, allow us to execute marketing campaigns, manage our relationship with you, build a profile of your interests and provide you with content or service offerings in accordance with your preferences. 

We have detected that Do Not Track/Global Privacy Control is enabled in your browser; as a result, Marketing/Targeting cookies , which are set by third parties that allow us to execute marketing campaigns, manage our relationship with you, build a profile of your interests and provide you with content or service offerings in accordance with your preferences are automatically disabled.

You may withdraw your consent to cookies at any time once you have entered the website through a link in the privacy policy, which you can find at the bottom of each page on the website.

Review our  cookie policy  for more information.

Customize cookies

I decline optional cookies

Advertisement

Supported by

Late-Summer Travel Plans? You Might Want to Put On a Mask.

With U.S. Covid-19 cases at very high levels and new vaccines still several weeks away, we asked experts for their advice on when and where to wear a mask.

• Share full article

By Ceylan Yeğinsu and Dani Blum

It is the height of the summer travel season: Airplanes and cruises are packed, hotels are booked, and travelers are crowding theme parks and attractions. Yet throughout the United States, Covid-19 is currently circulating at very high levels.

During the peak of the pandemic, masks were ubiquitous in hotels, airports and other public places. They were required to fly , and many travelers donned them elsewhere to help reduce the transmission of the deadly coronavirus. Since the end of the mandate, and as travel has returned to or surpassed prepandemic levels , most travelers have abandoned preventive measures, particularly masks.

With updated vaccines not available until the fall , experts are reminding travelers about the benefits of masking, particularly in airports and poorly ventilated indoor environments.

Here’s what you need to know about masks and your travel plans.

What’s going on with Covid right now?

The number of reported cases appears to be climbing both in the United States and abroad. In the United States, there are “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater samples nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization reported that cases around the globe rose by 30 percent from June 24 to July 21, compared with the previous 28 days. Put simply: There’s a lot of Covid out there.

How effective are masks? What is the best mask to use?

People who want to minimize their risk of respiratory illnesses like Covid (along with colds and the flu) should wear a mask while traveling, experts say. Even if you’re the only person wearing one on a train or at an airport, a mask continues to offer protection — provided you wear it properly, which means covering both your nose and your mouth.

“It does not eliminate the risk, but it substantially reduces the risk of exposure,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, in Missouri. Aim for a high-quality mask, like an N95, a KN95 or a KF94 , all of which filter out the overwhelming majority of virus particles and are far more effective at reducing the chance of a Covid infection than cloth or surgical versions. Masks should fit snugly on your face.

“If you have symptoms and you have any question about it, I would wear a mask, just to protect other people,” said Dr. Marc Sala, a co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. Common symptoms of Covid include coughing, fever, sneezing, congestion, headaches, sore muscles, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues . Those who are asymptomatic but have been exposed to Covid may also consider masking.

If you have tested positive during a trip but cannot delay traveling, you should wear a mask whenever you are around other people, Dr. Sala said.

Where should travelers wear a mask?

The C.D.C. urges travelers to “consider wearing masks in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor areas, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs.”

Dr. Al-Aly recommended carrying around a few masks in your bag or pockets, so that you have them on hand when you enter a crowded indoor space. “Maintain situational awareness,” he said. If you’re in a crowded indoor space, like a train station or busy museum, you may want to put on a mask. Although airplanes filter and circulate air , there is still a risk that comes with being in close quarters with large groups of people, Dr. Al-Aly said.

What is the travel industry’s stance on masking?

The mask mandate on airplanes became a heated issue at the height of the pandemic, with travel representatives arguing that it was harming the recovery of a hard-hit industry.

The U.S. Travel Association , a trade group that promotes travel to and within the country, believes mask wearing should be up to individual travelers. It welcomed the lifting of the mask mandate on U.S. transportation in 2022, calling it “a step further toward the endemic management of Covid.” That stance has not changed.

The International Air Transportation Association , another industry group, argues that aircraft are designed to reduce the transmission of viruses on board. “Cabin air is refreshed every two to three minutes — much more frequently than most other indoor environments,” the agency said in a statement. “It is also filtered and flows from ceiling to floor, all of which helps to maintain a healthy onboard environment.”

Passengers always have a choice to wear masks, the statement continued, and many airlines provide them upon request.

Major cruise lines do not require guests to wear masks, but passengers are required to undergo a health screening before boarding a ship, and some companies, including Carnival Cruise Line, encourage passengers to be up-to-date with Covid vaccines.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Ceylan Yeğinsu is a travel reporter for The Times who frequently writes about the cruise industry and Europe, where she is based. More about Ceylan Yeğinsu

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum